What Macroalgae Is Good For Refugium?

[hoppinghippos]

Hi, wondering what kind of macroalgae is good for refugium, least likely to turn asexual and all? Can anyone please advise?

[ervine]

I heard sea lettuce is good...

[CooL_anakin]

Erm.. There's a kind which is string like, quite common. I think those don't turn asexual so easily.Haven't heard of any problems from those.

[DaY]

i be using sea lettuce..so far so good..no problem with it turning asexual.. and pods are growing all over them..and u can feed your tangs with it..

[ozy]

Pardon me for asking (I have asked before but no reply).

What do you mean by the macro algae turning asexual?

And where can I get those green stringy algae and sea lettuce? The ones I normally see are grapes and ferns.

[DaY]

I show you two pic of my refugium with sea lettuce.. the Pods (white ant like creature) is all growing all over my refugium..

[DaY]

close up of the sea lettuce.. If you interested. Can pm me. I selling them

[DaY]

Taken from http://saltaquarium.about.com/library/week...ly/aa112000.htm

asexual

Caulerpa spread almost entirely by asexual growth from spores and by fragmentation. A spore producing Caulerpa can often times release such large numbers of spores that it turns the aquarium water a milkly-green color. If this occurs the spores will settle out, be removed by filtration, be eaten or die off in a short period of time. The water becomes clear again, but the spore producing alga can leave behind a white soft tissued husk that should be removed.

most ppl dun like it as i think it will cause the water to be milkish color and need a while to filter it away + some of the algae will die off..

[hoppinghippos]

Day, how much are you selling the lettuce? does it come attached to rock?

[DaY]

it does not come attached with any LR. It just free hanging type. I pm you..else it would be off topic

[newdamsel]

From my experience with sorts of algae, ferns are the worst which can turn 100% asexual within 10mins of your time, making your water super murky. Sea lettuce on the other hand needs rather strong lightings to make them grow. I've been using 18W PL for a depth of about 7inch, they dun seem to grow at all. The best so far is still our so called "bryopsis", green strand algae which looks like your pipe cleaners. These will turn asexual abt once a month but slowly when your lights are out, usually only the tips are white. So not that bad, but after when you turn your lights on, they fully absorb everything back. Fast growers IMO

[dodo]

wat i understand is in order to deprive those macro algaes the chance to turn asexual, you can try to on your refugium light 24hrs 7times a week(24/7). i dunno how true tis is as my refugium is currently unavailable at the moment. waiting for someone to clear some stuff in it

i will try 24/7 method once i get my refugium underway

[pospeh]

I think there is a type that wont go asexual. Its called something like Chaetomorpha, commonly known as spaghetti algae.

[ervine]

Sea lettuce on the other hand needs rather strong lightings to make them grow. I've been using 18W PL for a depth of about 7inch, they dun seem to grow at all.

I'm using sealettuce which I got from Day... illuminating it with 36W placed about 5" from the water surface, lettuce is 3" deep under the water.... but I also don't see any "explosive" growth....

2 weeks the lettuce still looks around the same... maybe it's just overcrowded so I can't tell if it's growing or not.. but I'm pretty sure it's not dying.. unlike my ferns last time...

[zephyros]

Frens,

can post picture of the macro algae that can be use in refug.

How abt those red macro-algae???

Zephyros

[Fireclown]

DaY, do you still have those macroalgae for sale? I need some when my refugium is up. Erm together with your nice juicy fat pods . Haha. I'll pay 1kg for 1kg of pods. hehe j/k.

[DaY]

erh...i have the sea lettuce still for sale..but the pods are not for sale..hee

[Fireclown]

Great! Where can I collect it from you?

[DaY]

i have pm you.

[Clownfish]

Heard bout turning on the lights 24hr/day is effective too... haven tried it myself... maybe anyoen who tried it b4 can share?

[piero]

I gave a huge bunch of my macroalage to purple tang before the site is down. Only need to on the lights for 6 hours each day and growth is enormous. I dun have anymore now so cannot take pic. Can try to PM him to see if he can spare U all some.

[Fireclown]

Piero, what lights are you using on your refugium? When can I start the refugium? Before in the middle or after cycling? Thanks.